Welsh fight for health

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EVEN the rumour of proposed closure was enough to bring three-quarters of the entire staff of Lansdowne Hospital in Cardiff to a promptly organised union mass meeting.

Addressing the meeting-which the National Coordinating Committee Against Cuts in the NHS (NCC) had been central in organising-Dai Coity Davies, President of the NCC and an exccutive member of the South Wales National Union of Mineworkers, stressed the need for unity in action against the closure. He spoke of the role of the miners in the fight for the health serviceand their determination to defend it. He spoke with the authorisation of the South Wales EC when he pledged the full support of the NUM to any fight launched by the hospital workers-a fight not just for their sakes, but for those of all working people.

National Union of Public Employees District Organiser Adrian Jones told the meeting that he had forced the Area Health Authority to concede a special meeting to discuss the question of closures. Members of the NCC then successfully proposed that a picket of that meeting be arranged.

Support for the campaign come from members of the General and Municipal Workers Union, NALGO, the local Residents Association, and the Panents Relatives Committee. An action committee was launched from the mass meeting which will be convening to discuss plans for the campaign.

The Area Health Authority appears to want to move in administrative staff from another bullding to make room for the proposed Welsh Assembly building: so high on the committee's priorities will be discussions of possible occupations to stop contractors moving in-or better still, a pledge from NALGO administrative staff that they will refuse to move.

It's action like this which is adding the Party to implement 1975 conference policy the NHS. To bang that point home. NCC supporters will be calling on local party delegates to Jom me lobby the cuts outside the Labour Party Conference in Blackpool on Tuesday tember.

ERICA BARNETT Lessons of HaS SO Tal

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meat to the initiatives launched by the NCC at a national level to force the Labour